Generic SORA for BVLOS inspections

Generic SORA for BVLOS inspections over populated areas

An innovative approach for the UAV industry

Drone-based inspection of power lines has long been state of the art. However, while UAVs are already routine in many industrial applications, one key factor continues to limit their widespread deployment: regulatory complexity. In particular, BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) operations over populated areas are technically feasible, but remain difficult to scale economically due to location-specific operating approvals.

Together with BLADESCAPE, AIRlabs is addressing precisely this critical challenge. The aim of the innovation project is to develop a generic operating approval for BVLOS operations over populated areas – including a robust assessment and approval process that goes beyond individual technologies and far exceeds the specific use case of power line inspection. If this paradigm shift succeeds, the Austrian UAV sector could gain access to entirely new operating models: location-independent, economically viable, safe and regulatorily robust.

Project partner:

Why generic approvals are the future

Currently, BVLOS operating approvals within the European regulatory framework are based almost exclusively on detailed, location-specific SORA analyses. While this approach is logically sound, it is costly and inflexible. Each new deployment area requires a separate approval – even when processes, systems and risk profiles remain unchanged. As a result, operators lose valuable time and scaling potential.

A generic SORA approach addresses this issue directly. It defines a regulatory framework that is not tied to a specific location, but instead to verifiable standards in operations, technology and risk mitigation measures. This enables UAV technology to be used in a way that industrial customers require: on-demand and location-independent, supported by clearly structured administrative procedures.

Methodical approach: Three steps towards generic BVLOS operation

To achieve this goal, a clearly structured approach was pursued:

Precise drone operation over populated areas

The core of the project is a comprehensive operating concept within the Specific category, including detailed procedures, crew qualifications, safety management and contingency strategies.

Generic drone operation over populated areas

By operating under the precise approval, flight hours are accumulated and submitted to the competent authority. On this basis, the possibility of a generic approval is evaluated jointly with the authority. The continuation of this step is planned after the end of the project and is subject to the relevant regulatory assessment.

Knowledge transfer & dissemination

The planned live demonstration has been delayed but remains part of the project. The results will be actively shared with the community, subject to joint approval.

Risk management within the approval process: population density as one building block

A key factor in the assessment of BVLOS flights over populated areas is ground risk. Within the SORA framework, this risk is typically assessed conservatively, often based on static assumptions regarding population distribution.

Within the project, this aspect was further developed by BLADESCAPE, in cooperation with specialised partners, as part of the overarching approval process and expanded through complementary assessment approaches. Dynamic population data were used as a supporting element to ensure transparent and traceable operational decision-making during mission planning. If defined parameters exceed specified thresholds during operation, appropriate operational measures are provided for, up to and including the interruption of individual flight segments. For these scenarios, coordinated contingency procedures were defined to ensure controlled and compliant drone operations.

From Risk Analysis to SAIL II: The Assessment Process

01

Assessment

Ground Risk

With a characteristic dimension of 1.4 meters and the intended BVLOS operation over populated areas, the drone is initially classified in Ground Risk Class 6 according to SORA 2.0. This results in a high baseline value that would not be acceptable without further mitigation.

02

Reduction

Ground Risk

Ground risk is reduced through the implementation of a defined safety buffer, coordinated operational assessment mechanisms, and an MoC2512-certified parachute. If defined parameters exceed specified thresholds, the respective flight segment is interrupted. These mitigation measures reduce the ground risk to Class 3.

03

Assessment

Air Risk

Since the mission is conducted at low altitude and close to power lines, the airspace is atypical. It is sparsely trafficked and therefore assigned to the lowest air risk category, ARC-a. This results in only minimal requirements for additional air risk mitigations.

04

TMPR

Assessment

In atypical airspace, no Tactical Mitigation Performance Requirements are necessary. The low flight altitude and infrastructure-related environment significantly reduce the likelihood of encountering other airspace users. As a result, tactical detect-and-avoid measures are not required.

05

Assessment

Overall Risk

The combination of reduced ground risk, low air risk, and the absence of TMPR requirements leads to an overall risk level of SAIL II. This category is considered operationally and regulatorily manageable and requires only moderate procedural, technical and remote crew qualification measures.

06

Assessment

of the Surrounding Area

Because the surrounding area is populated and M1 mitigations are applied, Enhanced Containment requirements must be met. An MoC2511-certified Flight Termination System ensures a predefined emergency procedure is available to safely end the flight if necessary.

Project Status and Outlook

Project Status and Outlook
Although final regulatory approval is still pending, the project has reached an important milestone. A well-developed and regulatorily compatible process concept is available, which can serve as a foundation for the further development of future BVLOS applications.
With the completion of the innovation project on December 31, 2025, the funded operational activities will come to an end – but not the vision. BLADESCAPE and AIRlabs plan to continue the initiated developments from 2026 onwards and to further evolve the generic approach step by step toward a possible approval.
The insights gained will be shared with the expert community, subject to mutual agreement. The focus lies on the experiences gathered during the regulatory assessment process and on the developed process logics for structured ground risk evaluation within approval procedures, which may provide valuable input for future approval approaches.

Conclusion: A Step Toward Scalable UAV Infrastructure

By developing a precise BVLOS operating concept over populated areas and advancing regulatory assessment processes, BLADESCAPE and AIRlabs are taking a step that goes beyond power line inspection. Rather than addressing a single use case, the project establishes a transferable approach that may contribute to the further development of existing standards.
The UAV industry requires solutions that are regulatorily robust, operationally efficient and technologically scalable. This project demonstrates what such a pathway can look like.

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